The co-star of MTV's new West Virginia-set reality series was one of three people found dead in a car after being reported missing.

One of the major stars of MTV's new reality show Buckwild, Gandee had been reported missing along with his uncle, David Gandee. They were last seen at Larry's Bar in Sissonville, West Virginia, at 3 a.m. Sunday and told people they were going offroading in Shain's Ford Bronco.

Gandee, his uncle and one other person were found in a car on Wolf Pen Drive in Sissonville.

"It's a very sad day for this county," Kanawha County Commissioner Kent Carper told MTV News. "This is a small place, and just about everyone in this community knows everybody."

One of the show's main stars, Gandee was employed as a trash hauler. Many of the stars of Buckwild have tangled with the law, including Salwa Amin, who was arrested for narcotics, skipped a court appearance and was thrown back in jail in late March.

The series pulled in roughly 3 million viewers (when Live+3 was added) and was renewed in February. Eight of the show's nine stars banded together to demand a hefty salary increase for season two, which has completed filming. They won 300 percent raises, elevating them from $1,000 per episode to $4,000, plus a $5,000 bonus. The stars teamed with Paradigm, law firm Del Shaw and manager JP Williams’ Parallel Entertainment, which co-produces the show with All 3 Media’s Zoo Productions to win the compensation bump.

In a statement, MTV said: "We are shocked and saddened by the terrible news about Shain Gandee, and those involved in this tragic incident. We are waiting for more information but at this time, our main concern is for the Gandee family and their friends. Our thoughts and prayers are with them. Shain had a magnetic personality, with a passion for life that touched everyone he met and we will miss him dearly."

Speaking to TMZ, Charleston, W. Va., Mayor Danny Jones said he hopes that the show will be canceled following the tragic events.

“Of the few cast members on the show already, two have had legal issues and now one has died," Jones said. "The show only enhances the negative stereotype the Kanawha Valley already has. I hope the show’s life is short.”

TMZ also reports that carbon monoxide poisoning is a suspected cause of death, but authorities have yet to confirm or deny the rumor.